Sleep
by Chibi-Slacker
Summary: Just a bit of Shampoo focused WAFF. Awwww.


Oh, it's WAFF. It's so totally WAFF. Or as WAFF as I get, anyways.

Shampoo cursed softly to herself as Kasumi carried a basket of laundry to her room, humming cheerfully as she went. She liked the eldest Tendo girl, she really did. But someone desperately needed to tell her that normal people did not do housework at half past midnight! Especially not when someone was clinging to the ceiling of the hallway above her. The chinese girl whimpered softly as the brunette stopped directly below her, one finger tapping her lips.

"Now, what was it I forgot? I know I turned off the lights..."

It was times like this that Shampoo honestly regretted not having the old-fashioned attitude that some of her other sisters displayed. It would be so much easier if she could just drug Kasumi into sleep, club Airen over his overly-thick head, drag him back to China by the cute little pigtail, and make lots of fat, happy babies for the tribe. But nooooo! She had to have a mother who wanted her raised with 'modern values'. Fat lot of good it did her on this barbaric, backwards island.

Finally, Kasumi came back upstairs, carrying a thin book in her hand that was placed on top of the laundry basket. Shampoo peered at the book's cover. "Love's Passionate Em-oh, my. She never would have imagined the staid-seeming girl to read something with that kind of a picture on the front of it. Her teeth gritted as the girl stopped AGAIN, this time just before entering her room.

"Oh, my. Maybe I should sweep the hallway before I go to bed. It's awfully dirty..."

The wood under Shampoo's fingers splintered.

"No, I might wake Father when I get the broom. First thing tomorrow, then."

The Amazon nearly wept in happiness as the door to Kasumi's room finally swung shut, leaving her alone in the darkened hallway. She slowly lowered herself to the floor, carefully avoiding the squeaky floorboard next to the wall and studiously ignoring the multitude of handprints pressed into the wooden beam she was clinging to. Every night! Every single night that girl managed to decide to do some late night cleaning, just as as Shampoo was sneaking in. It was like she had some sort of radar. Ping! Time to wander through the house aimlessly for a while, making sure to prevent anyone from being able to move about without getting seen! She was seriously beginning to wonder if the girl didn't need some kind of sleeping aid.

Her feet were whisper soft as they slid down the hallway, avoiding noisy floorboards with the ease of long practice. She paused before Ranma's door, holding her breath for a long moment as she strained to hear through the thin paper of the door. Slowly, she slid the door open on its runners, slipping through with no more noise than a ghost and easing the door shut behind her. It was the work of a few seconds to slip over to Airen's father and ensure that the sake-aided sleep he was already in became just that much deeper. Seconds, and the small leather sap her mother gave her as soon as she was old enough to date, that is. She was certain she'd never tire of hearing the sound of it meeting the fat fool's skull. It was her own small way of making him pay for all the things Ranma had to put up with thanks to him.

With the only major threat in the room taken care of, Shampoo's steps were far lighter as she moved over to her Airen's bed, shedding clothing as she went. She neatly folded up her clothing and tucked it away on a rafter. If nothing happened, she would retrieve it like normal in the morning. If something unexpected happened...well, Kasumi was used to finding random bits of clothing all over the house, thanks to all the Jusekyo-cursed individuals wandering though it. She hummed softly as she fished the canteen she kept there out of its hiding spot, using it to fill the small glass she'd picked up going through the kitchen. There. Now she had an escape route if someone came in. Small splash of water and...no more Shampoo! Sure, she was recognizable in her cursed form, but... There were many hiding spots in the room, to someone who was fast and knew where they were.

She knew that sneaking into his bed every night she could get away with it was far from the best way to handle things. If Mousse ever figured out what she was doing, for example, there'd be hell to pay. Not to mention the pure hell that would result if the Tendos or Ukyo stumbled upon her. As it were, there'd been far too many close calls before she started keeping the water next to the bed.

Oddly, her great-grandmother hadn't said a word about it, even though she had to know. Shampoo suspected that she was inclined to let sleeping dogs lie, just as long as they didn't wake up and bite the hand that fed them. Besides, Cologne was on her side. And she understood why Shampoo needed to do this.

Really, it was simple. Ranma had beaten her. Multiple times by this point, if she were honest with herself. By the laws, that made him her husband. But it was her heart that made him her Airen on top of that. He was her husband. She was his wife. And wives slept with their husbands. Even if all she could do was hold him while he slept and listen to the steady thud of his heart, the rumble of his breath... It was enough to make her happy.

Lucky for her he was such a sound sleeper, or else she wouldn't even have that much.

And with those thoughts buzzing in her head, and a small, thoroughly happy smile on her lips, Shampoo slipped under the covers with a soft, happy sigh and into her Airen's strong arms.  
She leaned up and pressed a feather-soft kiss to the side of Ranma's jaw, voice gentle as she whispered. "Good night, Airen. I love you" And with her face pressed into her husband's warm chest, breathing in the uniquely warm scent that was him, she could finally sleep. For now, she was content. For now, she was where she belonged. And later would take care of itself.

Fin.

So, you can basically blame Brian Randall for this one. He's the one who I trade fanfic ideas with at incredibly odd hours of the night. And he said he needed Shampoo WAFF. Thusly.  
And I need to make sure people knew I was still alive, or something.

For those who care... Started at 2:21am, finished at 4:12am, or close enough to pay no mind. Go me.

Oh, I almost forgot.

Shampoo couldn't help the soft, sad sigh that broke from her throat as she pulled herself from her Airen's embrace, slipping out into the cold air of the pre-dawn light. As much as she was enjoying holding herself against his warmth, she knew from experience that Kasumi would be waking up soon, which meant she had to be on her way. Her heart panged at how  
lonely he seemed every time she left, even though she knew it was nothing but a trick of her own longing. She swiftly dressed, taking care to avoid the cup of water next to the bed as she knelt next to it. She spent a few long moments studying her husband's sleeping face, brushing a bit of hair from his eyes before leaning down and pressing her lips to his for a few eternal seconds. Her voice was husky, as it always was at this point, with what she refused to acknowledge as tears. "Good morning, Airen. I love you"

And with that, she fled out of the Dojo, to another day of pretending everything was perfect.

Long moments passed before a hand emerged from under the covers, picking up the glass next to the bed and moving it farther away. Stormy grey eyes opened slightly, as a voice murmured softly.

"Good morning, Shampoo"

And with that, Ranma rolled back over, into the warmth left behind by Shampoo and slipped back into his dreams.

Really Fin, This Time


End file.
